The cities, towns and villages of the southern villages of Hama and northern Homs have been subjected to air raids, artillery shelling and a very violent rocket attack since yesterday, along with violent clashes, as the Assad forces announced that they were able to control the Jebel alJan, Wadi El-Zuwar, Hamrat, Breighit, Qneitrat, Salim, Khirbet Berbera and Tel Naoura, Wadi al-Hibiya and Ard Qabr alShaykha, Dhahra Jabbabi and Dhahra al-Jassiyyah, which the rebels denied totally.

Rebels said that they were able to repel all attacks, the most violent ones where Jabal alKin and Hamrat where the Assad forces suffered heavy casualties. The regime jets carried out air raids on the towns and villages of Talbisa, Deir Ful, Talul al-Hamar, Dilak, Ezzedin, Hamrat, Qantara, Breighit and Qneitra. A number of civilians were injured and Zafarana village was hit by artillery shells and missile rockets. The village of Za’farana was shelled as well by the regime militias, which resulted in dozens of wounded as the villages of Ain Hussein and Alkn and the town of Ghantu.

The rebels retaliated to the shelling of civilian houses in the southern villages of Hama and northern Homs by targeting the Shabiha sites in the village of Akrad al-Dasniyeh with several shells, causing injuries.

Hama :
The towns of AlLatamna and Kafarzita and Hasraya in the northern countryside, the city of Qalaat al-Madiq, and the villages of Anqawi, Al-Zyara and Bab al-Harb in the western countryside, were all under regime forces shelling.

Idlib :
The town of Khan Sheikhun in the southern countryside came under artillery bombardment by the Assad forces, resulting in the death of one civilian and another injured, while the military aircraft carried out air raids on the towns of Maarzita, Maara Hrema and Altamanaa and Tel Tar’i, which led to one civilian killed and another injured in Maarzita.

A civilian was killed and several others wounded by an explosive device on the road of Idlib, Ain Shaib.

Daraa :
The city of Hara and the towns of Abtah, Aqraba, Western alGhariya, alMal, came under Assad forces artillery shelling without causing any casualties among the civilians, while the Assad forces targeted the neighborhoods of liberated part of Daraa with Fil missiles and artillery shells.

As part of a psychological war, Assad helicopters dropped leaflets on the villages and towns of the province calling for reconciliation, surrender and the expulsion of rebels from the towns and the cities.

Quneitra :
Both towns of Mashara and Jabata alKhashab were hit by artillery shells and missile rockets by the Assad forces and no casualties were reported.

1/ SW has received reports of widespread rape of young women (~ 18-25) who fled #EasternGhouta through “humanitarian corridors” during the scorched earth campaign by govt. forces, after they were taken to holding centers in Damascus area & separated from men.

2/ The specific reports received come from the Adra holding center, but these same crimes are likely occurring in all of the others.

3/ Rape and other forms of abuse is why Siege Watch has repeatedly called for international agencies like @OCHA_Syria @ICRC_sy to immediately deploy monitors to the sites where forcibly displaced civilians from #EasternGhouta are being held.

Tweet by Syria Campaign – These strikes might deter use of chemical weapons for a period but their limited nature gives de-facto carte blanche to the Regime + Russia’s unending killing from the sky using other weapons. Protection from aerial attacks must be the first step in any #Syria strategy.

Mattis said, as I interpret it, otherwise, a “one time shot, ” for the time being.

Aside from that. The Pentagon knows what they are capable in terms of attacking the Assad regime, and how far to go to not receive overwhelming consequences (excessive escalation from Iran). When Obama was president, the Pentagon, and some advisors insisted he give the order to bomb the Syrian regime.

“The threat came: ‘You saw what happened in Douma. Now you can only sign, or there will be more strikes and nobody left in the town’… They bombed and bombed and we weren’t defeated by conventional weapons so they found the only way was to use chemical (weapons)… They said ‘we can no longer hold on. If you don’t leave, we are going over to the regime’… Civilian morale collapsed with the scenes of death…. Chemical weapons create more terror.” – Alloush

“Following the chemical attack, the target site and the surrounding area of the hospital receiving the injured were attacked with barrel bombs, which hindered the ability of the ambulances to reach the victims,” – Syrian American Medical Society

“[Not adding sanctions on Russia] sends a message to governments around the world that they can support brutal, criminal behavior without serious consequences… President Trump is out of step with the American people, American values—and as this situation has made clear, his own Administration.” – Rep. Eliot Engel, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.